Retroist Retro Podcast
Film, TV & Pop Culture
About
For over a decade, The Retroist Podcast has taken a nostalgic look back at the last 40+ years of retro themed pop culture. The show attempts to connect or reconnect you to things from your past through storytelling and discussion of compelling milestones and forgotten tidbits of pop culture.
Episodes
- Retroist Podcast Episode 364 (Game Genie)
I first saw the Game Genie at a friend’s house just after Christmas in 1991. We were doing the usual thing, seeing what everyone got, trying out games, handing controllers back and forth. Then he brought out the Game Genie and plugged it i…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 363 (DeLorean)
There were a few cars that could stop me in my tracks when I was a kid, and the DeLorean was near the top of the list. We had one in my town, parked outside a dentist’s office, and just knowing it was amazing. It was not something you expe…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 362 (Back to the Future the Animated Series)
Back to the Future didn’t feel like a property that I expected to be turned into a cartoon, at least not to me at the time. By the time the animated series arrived, my interest in Saturday morning television was already starting to slip. I…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 361 (Back to the Future Part III)
Back to the Future Part III had a different job to do. Part II had ended on a cliffhanger and sent everybody out of the theater with their heads spinning, but the third film had to bring everything back down to earth, or maybe more accurat…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 360 (Back to the Future Part II)
Back to the Future Part II had a lot to live up to. The first movie was already huge, and by the time the sequel showed up people were ready to see Marty and Doc again. This was not just another follow up. It felt like an event. Audiences…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 359 (Back to the Future)
I don’t know if you knew this, but Back to the Future is kind of a big deal. Its known as a big hit, but that wasn’t a forgone conclusion. Robert Zemeckis was not yet a household name, and while Michael J. Fox was a TV star, translating th…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 358 (Grease)
Grease as a studio movie in the late 1970s was a big swing. Sure it had two big stars in it, but its success entering a crowded summer of movies was not a foregone conclusion. But it turns out it was just what people were craving at the ti…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 357 (Sha Na Na)
In the late 1960s, the pop culture of the 1950s was still well-remembered, but the United States was going through some major changes. A counter-culture was going mainstream and with it came a rejection of things associated with older gene…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 356 (Christmas Commercials III)
Welcome to the Retroist Christmas Commercials III Podcast. Christmas is almost here. You know what that means? Time to buy stuff! That’s why this week’s show is all about the Christmas commercials that we love. I have done this format twic…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 355 (A Charlie Brown Christmas)
In 1965, Christmas television in the United States changed forever when, A Charlie Brown Christmas , premiered. Nothing about its creation and tone said it was going to be a success, but it touched people and was a huge hit. A hit that has…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 354 (The Herculoids)
In 1967 Hanna-Barbera had a new show on Saturday Mornings, The Herculoids . This was before my time, but the show’s concept and characters were so enduring that nearly a decade and a half later they would be revived for a new show and I wo…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 353 (Saturday Supercade)
In 1983, the first wave of arcade madness was still at a highpoint. We had a slew of classic games filled with classic characters that had become household names. Still, only one had made the leap off the gaming screen and onto the small s…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 352 (Prom Night)
Prom Night , starry Jamie Curtis, is a movie that is often overshadowed by her more memorable turn in Halloween . While it might not be a classic, like Halloween, it is a film well-worth your time. A fun, low-budget slasher film, it is als…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 351 (Trick or Treat)
Heavy Metal Music and Horror Films are a potent combination, so I am always surprised that heavy crossover isn’t as a common as one could expect. Still a few movies have done it in different ways. On the newest episode of the Retroist Podc…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 350 (The Iron Giant)
1999 was a great year for movies. Almost too great. It didn’t help that I found myself so busy with work that my focus on film couldn’t be what it used to be. So while I am a big fan of “The Iron Giant,” I was also one of those people who…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 349 (Jaws: Beyond the Screen)
Welcome to my final episode I plan to do about the Jaws franchise. Originally I planned on doing just a podcast about the Jaws NES Game, but as I started working on it, I thought it might be more enjoyable to throw a wider net. So on today…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 348 (Jaws: The Revenge)
I have very mixed feeling about Jaws: The Revenge . On the one hand, I found it disappointing when compared to earlier films, on the other hand I am fascinated that it was made and audiences reaction or lack of reaction to it. It is the la…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 347 (Jaws 3D)
Like many people at the time, I was really into the early 80s 3D revival. With interesting 3D offerings on TV and on the big screen, it was fun time to be watching stuff. Not many of these entertainment events were well-reviewed at the tim…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 346 (Jaws 2)
My family was very excited to see Jaws whenever it came on television, but never mustered the same enthusiasm for its first sequel. Because of this, I had an opportunity to read a copy of the Jaws 2 novelization before I saw the film. I re…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 345 (Jaws)
The first time I saw Jaws was on television and I found it terrifying and compelling. After seeing it, I needed to see it again and again. It was one of the first video tapes my family rented and an early purchase of mine once I started ge…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 344 (Atari XEGS)
Over the years, I have been slowly trying to cover all of Atari’s console releases. The first one I talked about, the Atari 5200, was way back in 2009. Well, I am happy to announce that I have finally covered all of the released consoles n…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 343 (Robotron 2084)
Arcades in the early half the 80s had a constant flow of new machines. Some were food, you would play them a few times and forget about the, but other’s attracted a crowd. Robotron 2084 attracted a crowd. I can still remember trying to cat…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 342 (Golden Axe)
In the late 1980s, a new multiplayer beat-em-up hit arcades, Golden Axe. It took what other games had done and added new depth to combat, a healthy dose of magic, and wrapped it all in Conan-style sword & sorcery. It wasn’t just a hit with…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 341 (Valley Girl)
A few months ago, I was chatting with my sister and out of nowhere she asked me if I had done a Valley Girl podcast yet. She loves this movie and it has come up a few times over the years. I responded that I hadn’t gotten to it yet and tha…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 340 (Fantasy Island)
I don’t think that Fantasy Island was a show that was meant for the entire family, but with my family’s liberal bedtime and television policy, it became a hit with my sisters and I. Half the time, I didn’t really understand what was going…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 339 (Magnavox Odyssey 2)
The Magnavox Odyssey 2 was a contender early on in the video game console world. It had a lot going for it, but it was up against a gaming juggernaut, the Atari 2600, and just couldn’t keep up. Still it is a memorable system and worth spen…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 338 (Chuck E. Cheese)
I have met a couple of adults who are unlucky enough to have never visited a Chuck E. Cheese as a kid. Many of them were not able to fathom why anyone would feel affection to the chain. Some of them would be lucky enough to see it through…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 337 (Streets of Fire)
Streets of Fire is a rock n roll fantasy film that crossed genres and had music at its center. Unfortunately, even though it was wildly creative, when it hit theaters in 1984, the reception to the film was underwhelming. Fortunately though…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 336 (The Monkees)
For years I have been considering doing a Monkees podcast. It has always felt like a big subject since I believe the band was very important in the history of pop music. I have tried to record it a couple of times, but was never happy with…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 335 (Photon)
At one point in the mid-80s, two light based combat gun games hit the market, Lazer Tag and Photon. I wanted Lazer Tag and would eventually get one, but the first set I got was Photon. Which my grandmother got me as a very thoughtful Chris…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 334 (UHF)
Like most people, I grew up in my own bubble filled with things that me, my family and friends enjoyed together. It didn’t even occur to me that the rest of the world didn’t love UHF. It was very high on my re-watch for at least a year and…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 333 (Burger Chef)
When I say Burger Chef to most people, they might recognize the name from its appearance on Mad Men , but most people haven’t heard of. This, despite it being the second largest fast food chain in the United States by 1973. Its rise was dr…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 332 (Santa Claus the Movie)
The hype around Santa Claus the Movie put it at the top of my must-see list in 1985. My family were big Dudley Moore fans and McDonald’s was pushing it with a Happy Meal tie-in. So we drove a few towns over to see it the weekend it opened.…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 331 (Three O'Clock High)
I remember seeing the trailer for Three O'Clock High and then seeing the ad in the newspaper. Luckily my best friend and I went to see it the week it opened because it wasn’t in the theater very long. For years afterwards we would try and…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 330 (Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Revisited)
In 1987, what is arguably the best Thanksgiving movie ever made, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles hit theaters. Like many people who saw it, I instantly fell in love with it and over the years I have watched maybe over a hundred times. Its…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 329 (The Adventures of Brisco Country Jr.)
In the 1990s, I fell in love with the western genre because an amazing show premiered on FOX, The Adventures of Brisco Country Jr., starring Bruce Campbell. This show was expected to be a big hit and widely praised, but failed to find a ho…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 328 (Dark Night of the Scarecrow)
Halloween is just around the corner, and I wanted to talk about a made-for-TV movie that I first saw as a kid: Dark Night of the Scarecrow . This spooky revenge film revolves around a terrifying scarecrow and has haunted me ever since I fi…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 327 (It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown)
Back in 2009, I recorded a podcast about It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown . It was a childhood favorite and a podcast that many people have emailed me about over the years. So now that I am committed to revisiting some of my older epi…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 326 (The Goonies)
The Retroist Podcast is back with an episode I promised to release during my first year of the podcast, The Goonies . On this episode, my first of the new season, I am happy to finally have covered this classic and beloved film. I start th…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 325 (1984 Summer Olympics)
Welcome to the 400th episode of the Retroist Podcast. On this episode, my last of the season, I decided to talk about the 1984 Summer Olympics. These Los Angeles games were a big deal for me. I don’t remember any Olympic activity before it…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 324 (VCR Revisited)
On the newest episode of the Retroist Podcast, I am revisiting a subject I dealt with over a decade ago, the VCR. The original episode I did, had always been a favorite of mine, but I have wanted to revisit it to update the audio, mix, mus…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 323 (Breakin')
As this season of the Retroist Podcast wraps up, I wanted to cover some of the films that tried to cash in on the breakdancing craze. Breakin’ was the first film to hit the theaters, and it captured the attention of my friends and I. Our d…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 322 (Indiana Jones Toys & Games)
I wanted to wrap up my coverage of Indiana Jones with a discussion of some Indy odds and ends. So on this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I am going to talk about Indiana Jones Merchandise. I focus on the things I was most familiar with w…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 321 (Indiana Jones Video Games)
In this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I am going to take a look at the first two decades of video games featuring Indiana Jones. This started with me just going to talk about a couple of games, but then morphed into a 12 game extravagan…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 320 (The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles)
In an episode of the Retroist Podcast, we are looking at the "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," a TV series that charts the early adventures of the iconic character Indiana Jones. This series fleshes out the formative years of the young…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 319 (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , released in 1989, as the first of the Indy films that I saw by myself. Much like in the other films, it follows the intrepid archaeologist, played by the Harrison Ford, as he embarks on a quest not just…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 318 (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom carved its niche as a riveting piece of film history, captivating audiences with its daring escapades and dark undertones. Released in 1984, this sequel to the iconic Raiders of the Lost Ark delves deep…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 317 (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
In the annals of cinematic excellence, Raiders of the Lost Ark emerges as an archetype of adventure filmmaking, etching its mark on the hearts of moviegoers with its blend of exhilaration and timeless storytelling. Released in 1981, Raider…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 316 (Magnum PI Revisited)
In 2009, I launched a podcast episode that delved into the iconic TV series "Magnum P.I.," a show that not only defined an era but also captured the hearts of millions with its thrilling adventures and charismatic lead, Thomas Magnum. Sinc…
- Retroist Podcast Episode 315 (Joust)
In the pantheon of video game classics, Joust stands as a testament to innovation and simplicity, capturing the hearts of gamers with its unique gameplay and imaginative design. Released by Williams Electronics in 1982, Joust broke the mol…